


Nothing Happens The Way I Intended

by delunestories



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Casual Sex, M/M, Mpreg, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2019-10-30 11:52:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17828039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delunestories/pseuds/delunestories
Summary: Maxwell has never really been that lucky, the man he had a casual sexual relationship with is now with one of his closest friends, he's responsible for more than he believes he can handle at times, and the stress of everything feels like it's going to cave in on him.And oh yes he's now pregnant with The Iron Bull's child because that was obviously precisely what he needed at this moment.





	1. Finding Out

**Author's Note:**

> This will be an Mpreg because when I went searching I couldn't find any particularly for Bull/Male Inquisitor so I wrote my own.
> 
> I'm also not the best writer, I'm still learning a lot and it's been a while since I last picked up Dragon Age so I apologize if there are any major flaws this was kind of a quick in my feelings thing I wrote.

This was not in his plans, of all the things why now? 

This could be devastating both professionally and personally. 

Pregnant....

He had been feeling off lately, nauseous, and sore. But to have become pregnant, this was grave news. Not that he didn’t want a child, but he was the Inquisitor and they were in the middle of a war. And that’s not even mentioning the fact that the father of said child had fallen for another and the two of them no longer had any..... relations.

What was he to do? It seemed everything was against him, Bull was happy with Dorian, he had a duty to the Inquisition, and this was.....

A mistake.

Sighing to himself he got dressed and headed out for the day, he couldn’t mope in his room all day. Pregnant or not, ill timing or not he still had his duties he couldn’t shake those off not even for a day.

It was just his luck that the first person he ran into was Dorian.

“No offense, but you have looked better,” Dorian said with his usual wit and charm. Smiling at Maxwell. In truth he could see what Bull saw in the other, he was almost too charming. Despite his best efforts to appear unmoved he couldn’t help but smirk slightly.

“Your flattery is exceptional as always,” Maxwell replied smirking at the other.

“It’s one of my many talents. Although I was referring to your pallor, you look quite pale.” Dorian said before looking more closely at Maxwell.

“I appreciate the concern, but I’m truly fine.”

“That you are,” Dorian said before walking away. 

Honestly, that man was absolutely incorrigible, how Bull managed to handle him was beyond his understanding. 

With another sigh, something he’s been doing a lot more lately, Maxwell went about his day fulfilling his usual duties. It wasn’t until later that night when he retired to his room that he allowed himself a moment of quiet reflection. He had spent the day doing his best to ignore the situation, but that was harder to do at night especially when all he wanted was to drown his sorrows in a bottle and he couldn’t even do that.

His thoughts were interrupted however when his door opened without even a knock and in strolled Cullen.

“You need to be careful Cullen, one day you might walk in on something you’d rather not,” Maxwell said with a smirk as he got up from his bed to greet his advisor.

“I have some urgent news.”

The news was not as impressive as Cullen had made it sound but it was something that got his mind off of his current situation. The one thing about being the Inquisitor is there wasn’t a lack of things to deal with that he could use to distract himself.

It wasn’t until one week later when he found himself hunched over throwing up what little food he had that he realized he couldn’t run from this any longer.

Now more and more people were expressing their concern, to the point where there were rumors that he had contacted blight of all the ridiculous things.

The persist knocking broke him out of his thoughts and forced him to get up and open the door. The fact that not only was The Iron Bull their but Dorian too did surprise him.

“Well now I know I’m in trouble.” He said inviting his friends in.

“Boss...”

“Whenever you two look and sound like that I’m expecting to hear the world is ending.” Which could be true for all he knew.

“No, we’re just worried. You haven’t been too well lately and people are starting to talk.”

“People are always talking about one thing or another, what is it this time?” He asked like he wasn’t already painfully aware of what people were saying about him. He wondered if the truth would be worse or better than what the rumors accused him of having.

“Well....You have been sick for some time.”

“Dorian, I have a stomach bug. Nothing more and nothing less, people are just overreacting.” Maxwell stated hoping that neither man noticed anything wrong about his statement. 

“You need to take better care of yourself, you’re a very important man after all,” Dorian said trying to ease the situation with his usual charm. 

Bull’s unusual quietness was making Maxwell nervous, it wasn’t like him to be so silent. Which usually meant that he was observing and if Max got caught in his half-truths and lies than it was all over. Not that the end to all this wouldn’t come sooner or later. After all, he wouldn’t be able to hide his pregnancy forever. Eventually, everyone will know the truth, they’ll be no way for him to hide.

He unconsciously put his hand over his stomach, not even born yet and already this baby was giving him all sorts of trouble.

“If that’s all gentlemen? I'm absolutely famished for some food.” Maxwell said hoping to get an end to this conversation before his resolve shattered and he ended up confessing everything.

Both men did look at him a bit strange but left him regardless, it wasn’t until later on when he was addressing questions from Cullen that he realized what he said that would have sounded so strange to them.

If you’ve got a stomach bug then why be in such a rush for breakfast?

There was no way he could keep this a secret for much longer was there? 


	2. Drunken Sorrows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dorian and The Iron Bull take Maxwell out for a night of drinking and fun, it does not end well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone that read chapter one and left Kudos, hopefully, this next chapter is okay.

Maxwell had not been expecting something like this, granted he hadn’t been on top of his game lately but Dorian doing something like this was a little too surprising.

“I don’t know what I find more surprising, you managing to organize all of this or the fact that I actually agreed to it.”

“I’m quite surprised you agreed to this myself, you’ve turned into quite the loner lately,” Dorian said before finishing up his drink. Maxwell himself hadn’t touched his drink, he was hoping no one would question his decision to stay sober.

“I might have been a little preoccupied.” In truth, he had been trying to spend as little time around others as he could. The last thing he needed was anyone asking questions, however, it apparently led people to believe that he needed an intervention of all things.

“You’ve also been holing yourself up in your quarters, something that is quite unlike you.” 

“So a party is the solution?” Maxwell asked with a smirk.

“It got you here didn’t it?” Dorian certainly had a way to get what he wanted from him.

This party was quite tame compared to certain events he got stuck going to. It was mostly a drinking excursion with Dorian, The Iron Bull, and a few others that he didn’t know as well. He had only agreed because he found himself unable to say no to his friends. He never was very good at saying no to people, which meant that saying no to people he cared about as much as he cared about Dorian and Bull was close to impossible.

“Drink up, Boss.” The Iron Bull said loudly already having had several drinks already.

“Someone has to be the voice of reason when you both can’t think straight,” Maxwell said smiling hoping that this would be convincing enough. He was used to putting on a mask sometimes in front of others. Sometimes being the Inquisitor required him to put on a farce and pretend that everything was going to be okay. After all, how could he help others if he was panicking as well?

“But this is for you. You need to relax Boss.” 

He said this and yet a few hours later Maxwell was thankful that he did stay away from drinking. He was quite surprised at just how drunk his two friends had gotten. When The Iron Bull had passed out on the ground he figured perhaps it was time to retire for the night.

“What am I to do with you both?” He said fondly as he had one of Dorian’s arms around his shoulder. “Him I expect this from but you Dorian? I can’t recall if I’ve ever seen you this drunk.” Maxwell said as he helped the other man walk back to his room. He had no choice but to leave the Qunari on the floor, he was too heavy for Maxwell to move on his own and it’s not like there was anyone else to help. 

“I had to drink away my sorrows.” He mumbled as the two of them walked.

“Sorrows?” He hadn’t thought Dorian had any sorrows, at least not any that would lead him to drown in a bottle like this.

Thankfully they hadn’t much further to walk, and Maxwell was able to settle the man on his bed soon enough and left to his own quarters. He should probably check on both of his friends tomorrow before he did anything else. The Iron Bull would more than likely be fine on his own, it wasn’t the first time he had passed out from drinking.

Dorian drinking this much was a surprise, or maybe Maxwell didn’t know him as well as he thought he did.

The next morning true to his word he checked in on The Iron Bull who unsurprisingly was perfectly normal. 

“And you said I didn’t need to be the sober one.”

“I’m sorry, Boss. We did this for you, to help you relax.” That was sweet, despite his roughness on occasion the Qunari was surprisingly insightful when it came to how people felt and what they needed. 

“As kind as the thought is, I’m perfectly fine.”

“You’ve been isolating yourself in your room, we can tell you’ve been stressed. Even without my training, I could tell.” 

Under Bull’s gaze, he found himself unable to deny it, unable to lie. Damn, he truly was in trouble wasn’t he? 

“Has.....anyone else noticed?” There was no point in lying or hiding if he did Bull would know and then it would be a greater omission than if he actually told the truth.

“Only Dorian.”

“I see... You two make it very hard to keep secrets. I just haven’t been very well lately, it’ll pass.” He said with a smile hoping to joke his way out of this for now. Those two were some of his closest friends it was probably no surprise that they had noticed a change in his behavior. But he doubted that he would be able to keep this up much longer with others starting to notice as well.

“We simply know you too well.”

That was unfortunately true, they knew him far too well. How much longer could he keep up this charade?

“Anyway I should be seeing that lover of yours, I have a feeling he’s in much worse condition than you,” Maxwell said with a grin and took his leave before anything else could be said and made his way over to Dorian’s room.

This was the first time he’d actually been there other than last night but he was slightly preoccupied at the time to take note of anything, usually the other was hiding in Maxwell’s own library collection. 

He knocked on the door and was amused by the yelling that came from the other side of the door. Grinning when it opened and Dorian came out looking a lot more disheveled than usual.

“You don’t have to look so pleased.”

“What can I say? Although considering how much you drunk last night I’m amazed you’re even awake.” Maxwell said as he walked into the room.

“I live to surprise you,” Dorian said with a hint of sarcasm before burying himself back on his bed. 

“Can I get you anything to help?” He asked feeling sympathy for his poor friend.

“Next time I think drinking the night away is a good idea remind me of this moment.”

“That I shall, although I must be honest I wasn’t sure Mages could get drunk.” Maxwell had thought that it could be somewhat risky for them.

“We’re trained to resist it but even the best of us want to lose control sometimes, except for you of course.”

“I have my own ways of losing control, Dorian...” Maxwell said softly before he realized that the mage had fallen asleep again.

Sighing once more he left to his own quarters but stopped halfway there and instead sought out his advisors. He knew... 

He couldn’t hide it any longer if people were starting to take note then this could affect everything they had been fighting for. He couldn’t buy himself any more time and things wouldn’t change. 

It was time to face the music.


	3. Headaches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After dealing with Cassandra, Cullen and Josephine Max has a surprise visitor in the shape of The Iron Bull.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos, it means a lot that even one other person likes my mediocre writing.

Maxwell breathed a sigh of relief when he finally made it into his room, telling the others even just his advisors hadn’t been easy. They had all reacted as he expected them to, some were concerned if he would be able to fulfill his duties he had tried his best to reassure them but even he wasn’t certain.

But he was good at figuring things out along the way, it’s not like another herald could just take his place. Even if sometimes in his darker moments he almost wished someone would. Sometimes all of this just got a little too much, he didn’t feel like a person, he felt like an image. He had to present himself as the Inquisitor, there was no room to make mistakes or be himself. 

He just needed to relax for a few minutes, he could already feel a headache coming on. Unfortunately, he never did have the best luck when it came to things like this, as the door to his chambers started banging, there was only one man he knew that knocked like that.

“Well this is a surprise, what do I owe the pleasure to Bull?” He said inviting the man in.

“You doing okay boss? You’re looking a little pale.”

“I’ll be fine, it’s just a little headache it’s practically par for the course,” Maxwell said smiling a little as he closed the door behind Bull. “So start at the beginning.”

“What do you mean?” Bull asked sitting down on the bed.

“Well, I assume you wanted to talk to me for a reason?” Then again maybe Bull really did just drop by to talk.

“I’ve been worried about you. You seem tired, more so than usual.” 

Max sighed and sat down on the bed next to Bull. “I always forget I can never keep anything from you, or Cole for that matter.”

“I’m trained to notice these things, but the others have also noticed you seem out of sorts lately.”

Well, he really wasn’t hiding anything, was he? Max assumed that Cole, Iron Bull, and Cassandra to notice if he was behaving differently they were trained for these things but for everyone else to take notice as well showed that he really was slipping up.

“I’ll be fine, you all shouldn’t waste your energy worrying about me. We have bigger things to be concerned about.”

“You’re putting too much pressure on yourself, taking on too much. You need to relax.”

Max sighed at his friend’s words, relaxing right now was something he couldn’t afford to do. He could barely afford to do that when he didn’t have to worry about the.....child. Even thinking about it made him want to run away. 

It figured he could take on dragons, mages, templars, diplomats. But he wanted to run at the mere thought of having a child.

He was also afraid, Iron Bull wasn’t small and he wasn’t certain just how big this child would be. Would he even survive? 

The only person that could answer his questions was the one person he was too scared to ask. A lot of people underestimated the Iron Bull but beneath his rough exterior was a very intelligent and almost too insightful man at times. 

Sometimes he wondered if it was all the Ben-Hassrath training or if it was also part of Iron Bull’s personality.

“No need to worry, I just need a good night’s sleep.” Maxwell smiled hoping that Bull would just buy it or at the very least not call him out on it.

“Like I said Boss, you’re working too hard. You need to find a way to relax, ya know like we used to.” Bull said shaking his head at Max.

The words did make him chuckle, he had no ill will towards those memories. He and Iron Bull were fun, it was interesting and it really did help him relax more. He was happy that both of his close friends found something more in each other if it wasn’t for his circumstance he would have probably just gone on and continued doing his best as the Inquisitor. Nothing would have changed, and now everything might.

“I’m not so sure there’s someone out there that can accomplish those feats,” Max said smirking at the other.

“No one you have your eye on Boss?”

“Honestly I spend most of my day fighting, the other part of it in diplomatic talks, and in between serve judgment. The few moments I don’t do any of that I’m too tired to do anything other than sleep.” Not to mention when he was trying to help the others with whatever quests they asked of him.

“No offense Boss but just hearing all that makes me tired.” 

“No offense taken Bull, I appreciate you coming by and talking to me but I truly am alright. Just a little worn out with how busy things have been lately but nothing for anyone to worry about.”

“If you say so, but I’m here if you need anything. We all are, there’s no need for you to take everything on yourself.”

The words made him smile, and maybe even hope a little. Maybe everything really would be alright, even after he told everyone the truth. “Thank you, Bull, now if you don’t mind I really would like to get some sleep.”

The Iron Bull was almost out of the room but turned around when he heard Maxwell speak again. “It’s only mid-afternoon though. Are you sure you’re alright?” 

“Again you worry too much, I’ll be fine. You can tell the others to stop worrying as well. If there was something to tell you all I would have.” 

“Just keep telling yourself that Boss,” Bull said smiling as he left Maxwell alone.

Sighing to himself, now that he was alone he all but collapsed on his bed, he couldn’t even muster the energy to get up and change his clothes. The only thing he could find the strength to do was to unlace his boots and pull them off before crawling back onto the bed. He might as well just stay as he was anyway, knowing how things worked around here it won’t be long until someone needed him for something anyway. 


	4. Trouble in Paradise?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maxwell ends up with some unlikely visitors and shares some news but is surprised when a fight seems to start out of nowhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to anyone that is still reading this I hope you enjoy this new chapter ^_^

Maxwell wasn't surprised to see Solas, the man was the only one other than his advisors and Cassandra that was aware of his predicament. He was also the one pushing him the most to tell the father of his child about this.

"You won't even have an option of whether it's the right time soon."

"I know, how much time would you say I have before hiding isn't even possible anymore?"

"Three to four weeks, you're nearing the end of your third month already my friend." Solas sat on the bed next to Maxwell, he had shown up to Max's quarters which was unusual in itself but Maxwell knew that Solas was just concerned.

Eleven weeks had already gone by keeping his pregnancy a secret was soon going to be impossible. He had hoped that he'd have found the guts to tell Bull and Dorian by now but it seemed he could only be brave on the battlefield. This kind of bravery was not his strong suit.

"Will the father really be that angry?" Solas asked gently.

"It's not his anger I'm afraid of Solas, it's his pride I'm afraid of, I don't know if he'll want to be involved or not." He didn't really care about whether Bull was interested in him or not, their relationship had been purely physical. That's why he never had any kind of ill will towards him and Dorian, but he didn't want his child to be rejected.

"Do you want him to be?"

"I'm not sure Solas, I would like my child to know his or her father but I have no interest in being with the father or anyone for that matter."

Maxwell never wanted a romantic relationship with anyone, Bull had been a stress relief when he needed it the most. They both got something out of their arrangement but there was no emotional attachment involved other than friendship and respect for one another. Max had needed to not be in charge for a while, to not feel like the world's problems rested on his shoulder's. Although he never quite figured out what Bull got out of it.

Plus being the Herald wasn't exactly a safe profession, the last thing he wanted was to hurt someone by loving them and then dying on them.

"Think on it a little more, but try not to take too long or your child might decide to make its presence known before you have the chance." Solas gave a comforting pat on Maxwell's shoulder before turning to leave. Maxwell expected him to see himself out and to be left alone.

"Hope I wasn't interrupting."

Dorian's voice did surprise him he didn't even hear the door open after Solas left, which suggested that perhaps Dorian entered as Solas left. Smiling at his friend he got up off of his bed and greeted Dorian.

"You weren't interrupting anything, Solas was just giving me advice about something. Was there something you needed?" Because when did someone not need something?

"No, I just wanted to talk to you about something. I didn't expect to bump into Solas, eventually, you'll have a queue of people waiting for advice."

"I will be glad to help all of them if I can."

"You're too nice, this is why you worry me you take on everyone's problems without even a thought to your own life and do it with a smile."

"You worry about me, Dorian?" Strangely enough, that wasn't even the first time he'd heard something like that coming from his friend these past few weeks both Dorian and Bull and now Solas had mentioned worrying about him. Perhaps his poker face wasn't as good as he thought it was.

"I do, I worried about you before but these past few weeks it's gotten worse. I worried when you were being overly kind and nice to everyone, even me. Then you get sick and can't seem to stomach anything, then you start isolating yourself, and now we're not going out on missions even though that's something we used to do every day. Bull says I should be patient and let you say something so I waited but this is getting ridiculous. So I'm asking you, Maxwell, what the hell is going on?"

The most surprising thing about Dorian's words was that he actually called him by his name. Usually, he was the Herald or Inquisitor, no one really called him by his given name anymore and it was surprising how less of a person you can feel when you're only referred to as a title.

"I guess I can't get anything past you." Maxwell smiled a bittersweet smile and sighed looking at his friend. He didn't know what he was going to say or do, and judging by the look on Dorian's face he wasn't going to just give up.

"I could make something up, pretty words that people like to hear but I find as the weeks go by I'm getting a little tired of being what everyone wants, what everyone expects. If they only knew the truth." The bitterness in his words surprised even him.

"You don't have to be that way, not with me. I know better than anyone how draining it is having to play a part. No one can keep it up forever, I couldn't keep playing the dutiful son and you can't keep playing the part of a messiah that doesn't need anything but to help people." Dorian said as he sat on the bed beside Maxwell.

"It's what the people need at a time like this, hope. I do what I can to help and give it to them." He truly did want to help people but he needed a break the weight of everything felt like it was crushing him.

"Were you ever taught the story of Atlas? He was a Titan that was condemned to hold up the celestial heavens for all eternity. He wasn't a good man that did it for love it was his penance, his punishment. You, my friend, are a good man you don't have to hold up the world." Dorian smiled and placed a comforting hand on Maxwell's shoulder much like Solas had done before.

"I'm pregnant." Maxwell wasn't really sure why he did it, what made him think it was wise to speak the words he'd been trying to say for so long especially to the man that was dating the father of his child but Dorian had been so kind and made him feel like he wasn't just the Inquisitor, that he wasn't alone in this and he couldn't stop himself from saying it the words were already out of his mouth by the time he realized what he said.

"You're what!?"

"Eleven weeks according to Solas, which I know this is perfect timing."

"Maxwell."

He hadn't been looking at Dorian, trying to avoid the inevitable look of disappointment on the man's face but he found himself unable to resist looking at his friend when he said his name like that.

"You're pregnant?" This time it was said much softer and Dorian's hands reached up to cradle his face in such a soft gesture that it kind of broke his heart. Maxwell wasn't really used to it, the gentleness. Ever since the arrangement with Bull stopped he hadn't looked at anyone else and even then what was between him and Bull was always physical there wasn't a lot of soft moments.

"Don't look at me like that, you'll make me cry and I've done an excellent job of not crying in front of people so far."

"That's only because you feel like you have to be this strong god, you're allowed to be human Max," Dorian said softly and he really needed to stop because he was going to break through all of Maxwell's carefully constructed walls if he kept this up.

"I don't think the people out there would agree with you."

"Those idiots don't matter, you're my friend and those who know you know that you're not the image people try to force on you. You're a good person and you were just forced into this role and I've never heard you once complain about it."

If anyone was to ask him what made the tears fall down his face at that moment he would blame it on the pregnancy. But the truth of it all was that Dorian's words hit him in ways he hadn't expected.

"I warned you, I told you if you kept it up you'd make me cry."

"Maybe you need to cry about it all Maxwell. Not just the pregnancy but everything you've been bottling up since you were forced to be the new messiah."

Maxwell didn't know what he did to deserve a friend like Dorian, he was too kind. Which made what he had to say next seem cruel. "Dorian, you know the fath-"

"Is Bull, I know. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that eleven weeks was before he and I were serious and I do know the two of you were together before then."

That did surprise him, then again it made sense. Bull had told him he was sleeping with Dorian, so why wouldn't he have told Dorian that he was sleeping with Max?

"Please don't tell him, I know it's a lot to ask of you but I can't have him knowing about it yet." He knew it was a lot he was asking of Dorian, to keep a secret this big from the man he was dating but he wanted to be the one to tell Bull and even more than that was the fact he wasn't ready for him to know yet.

Because then everything would become real.

"I would never tell him, this isn't my business to tell and even if it was you're my friend. Whatever you tell me in private I would never tell to anyone else, not even the man I'm dating."

He really didn't deserve a friend like Dorian, but he was glad to have him especially when the man's arms went around his waist pulling him into a hug and his own hands clutched the back of Dorian's shirt. Of course, it was at that exact moment that Iron Bull decided to walk in.

"What's going on?" He asked because of course, he did. His ex-lover? Fuck buddy? Bed warmer? Whatever they had been hugging his now boyfriend was probably not something he thought he'd see.

"What's going on is that I need to get a sign up to remind people to knock before they enter my room."

"At least I was going to knock, Solas just happened to open the door before I could do that."

"Solas was here?" Maxwell didn't know what it was but something in Bull's tone felt off. He couldn't pinpoint what it was or why but it was a tone he hadn't heard before.

"He is allowed friends you know? And friends do occasionally visit each other, they even hug when the time calls for it."

Dorian's words and tone suddenly had him feeling like he was in the middle of a lovers spat that he had no idea about or even how he managed to be involved with.

"And the time called for it? Why did the time call for it exactly."

"None of your business Bull."

Maxwell had no idea why both of them sounded mad, he imagined that perhaps they had a lovers spat before and he unknowingly had stumbled upon it.

"Is everything all right with you two?" Maxwell asked looking at them both.

"It's fine, we're ju-

"No, we're not having our love life fixed by Max." Dorian's tone was again a surprise and for the first time, it looked like Bull was just as surprised as he was.

"Since when do you call him Max?"

"What's wrong with me calling my friend by his actual name? It's a bit of a weird friendship if I call him my lord, inquisitor all the time.

Somehow this seemed to cause the two of them to go into a full-blown argument, which no he wasn't having it. His best friend and his... whatever was not going to have a lover's spat in his room.

"Enough! Both of you. Now, what is this all about? And before either of you say anything you brought this to me when you decided to argue in my own quarters." Maxwell used his best Inquisitor commanding voice but really he was too tired to sound that professional so it came off a little harsher then he intended.

"You're right, this was unbecoming of us. Bull and I just had a tad falling out earlier over something we disagree about and we let it continue here which wasn't right. I apologize."

"Dorian's right, whatever goes on in our relationship we were wrong to bring it up in front of you. You have more than enough things to solve without the two of us adding even more to it."

That seemed the end of it at least, but he still had no idea what it was they were arguing about in the first place.

"We should let you rest," Dorian said smiling slightly at him and patting his arm.

Watching the two of them leave Maxwell had a feeling he was missing something but he had no idea what. There wasn't anything he could if he didn't know what was going on and maybe it wasn't his business. They were both his friends but their relationship was theirs it wasn't right for him to try and jump in.

Sighing to himself he decided to take a bath and hope that everything worked out for the best.


	5. The Truth Will Set You Free

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the first trimester coming to an end Maxwell knows that he has to tell Bull he can't put it off anymore. Bull does not react the way Maxwell thought he would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Thank you to anyone that is still reading this, it really means a lot to me and I hope this new chapter is okay and anyone that is still reading this enjoys it.

"It isn't....that noticeable?" Dorian said looking at Maxwell only for the man to sigh.

"Dorian."

"Well what do you want me to say? Yes, that's an obvious bump. You're pregnant, you're going to have a baby, a bump is one of the key parts of that." Dorian said taking his eyes off of Maxwell's stomach as the man in question put his shirt back on.

"I know I just hoped I'd have more time before I had to tell anyone else."

"You've had three months to tell people, so far you've managed to tell five people, at this rate your baby will be able to tell people before you find the courage to." Dorian said not unkindly at least.

"I told six people." Maxwell said but even to his own ears it sounded like a weak defence.

"Solas doesn't count, he was the one that informed you of your pregnancy."

"I just...I wanted Bull to know first. I just need to figure out how." Three months since he found out the truth and he still was trying to find a way to say the words to Bull.

"No worries, just wait another month or two and Bull will be able to figure it out himself."

"I know, I need to tell him. But I can't. I try and I try but every time the words just die on my tongue before I can get them out." Maxwell knew he couldn't hide much longer, he may have a bump now but it was tiny and barely noticeable even without his shirt on. But he knew it wouldn't stay that way for long.

"You told me."

"Maker knows how. You were just... You were there for me and I don't know the moment just fell into place." Maxwell hadn't even been planning it, it had just felt so right and easy. Dorian had been there for me when he needed someone the most, had treated him like he was a person and not just an image. The words just flowed out after that.

"Then do that with Bull, the two of you go off somewhere together and try and have a moment." Dorian said sighing, he'd been doing that a lot lately.

"I don't think you can try and have a moment, I think that defeats the purpose of the moment if you try and force it to happen. Besides is there a reason you want me to take your boyfriend out on a date?" Maxwell said with a grin as he laid on Dorian's bed.

"Yes, he's been a bloody nightmare ever since we had that fight in your room last week."

"What was that fight even about?" He never did get an answer last time.

"We just didn't see eye to eye on how to handle a situation. I wanted to go in and take the bull by the horns so to speak and he wanted to wait it out." Dorian said vaguely.

"That's strange you'd think it would be the other way around." Bull was usually the run into battle type and Dorian was the more strategic of the two. He wondered why it was different this time.

"On a mission it is, but this wasn't a mission. It was more emotional then that." Dorian said cryptically."I have no patience for things like that and Bull likes to wait for people to go to him."

Well that did kind of seem like Bull, he didn't seem to like it when their missions got a little more fluffy then just hitting something. "Everything okay now?"

"Between Bull and I?" Dorian asked continuing when Maxwell nodded. "We're good, we just disagree about this thing he doesn't think he should have while I think we should just go for it."

"Sounds complicated, why doesn't he want this thing?" Maxwell asked trying to fix whatever is happening.

"He wants it, he just doesn't think he should have it because of things that happened. But enough of that, I'm not letting you come in and try to fix this like you do with everything else."

"I don't try and fix everything."

"You do, that is literally all you do. You can't not try and fix things, whether it be a hole in the sky or helping Cassandra with her secret romance novel obsession that is not as secret as she'd like to think." Dorian said with a smirk.

"How'd you even know about that?"

"Easy give Varric enough alcohol and he'll say anything. You wouldn't believe half the things that man knows." Dorian said his hands moving as they usually did, that was the first thing he'd really noticed about Dorian the man spoke a lot with his hands.

"I don't think I want to know half the things Varric knows." Maxwell said with a smirk.

"You may be surprised, but enough deflecting I'm not letting you get away with this any longer you have to tell him and you know you do." Dorian said crossing his arms.

"I know, I just never thought it would be this hard and no I can see your face you are not going to turn that sentence into a joke." Maxwell said seeing the glint of mischief in Dorian's eyes.

"Spoilsport, have it your way." Dorian said as he laid on the bed next to Maxwell.

"What's up?" He asked looking at the man.

Before Dorian could answer though the door opened with a crash and in walked the Iron Bull.

"I've told you before to knock." Dorian said sounding fondly annoyed not even getting up from his position.

"What's going on here?" Bull asked confused as he looked at his boyfriend on the bed with another man.

"My bed is comfy and we're tired so we're laying on the bed." Dorian said not even looking at Bull. "Oh come on, I've seen you ogle men and women still. Laying on the bed with my best friend is innocent and you know it, you're just jealous." Dorian said with a grin.

"I'm not jealous." Bull said as he moved towards the bed. "How are you feeling?"

Maxwell looked at Dorian thinking maybe there was something wrong that he hadn't told him. "He's asking you, not me."

"Oh, I'm feeling okay." He really was feeling much better than he had been, Solas mentioned that now that he was twelve weeks pregnant his morning sickness should lessen. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason, you've just seemed a little under the weather lately." Bull answered as Dorian grumbled under his breath. He knew Dorian had been getting a little annoyed lately with having to keep this a secret from Bull. He understood, he imagined having to keep something like this from someone you're dating was difficult.

"Dorian could you give us a few minutes?" He asked his friend only for Dorian to smirk at him.

"Usually I would protest to being kicked out of my own room but for you I suppose I could go annoy Vivienne." Dorian said before getting up and leaving the room.

Dorian and Vivienne had a strange friendship, they loved to rile each other up but also defended one another at times. He supposed they both understood what court life was about, he was born into a minor noble family but he could never entertain the game it always bored him as a child and even more as a young man.

"Something you want to talk about Boss?" Bull asked looking at Maxwell as the man sat up on the bed.

"Kind of, there's something I've been meaning to talk to about." He said gripping his hands together, he needed to say the words. He was already approaching his fourth month, Dorian knew, his advisors knew, Cassandra knew. He just needed to say the words. "Actually maybe you should sit down for this."

"This sounds serious."

"Well yes it kind of is. I'm sure you've noticed I haven't been leaving Skyhold lately." Maxwell said turning to Bull.

"Yes I have noticed, Cassandra said you wouldn't be. Something about diplomatic stuff that needed your attention."

What a perfectly reasonable excuse, he wasn't sure he could come up with something like that if anyone asked and even if he did he doubted he could seem as convincing as Cassandra. "Well there's slightly more to that, I haven't really told anyone about."

"Boss whatever's going on you know me and my boys have your back."

"Thank you Bull but the truth is.... The truth is... I'm erm..." I'm a coward, Maxwell thought to himself as he rubbed his hand over his face. "I'm pregnant."

"What?" Bull asked looking confused.

Okay not the reaction he expected but also not that bad. "That's why I've been staying here Bull, I'm pregnant." He was surprised how easy it was to say now when mere moments before it felt like his heart was going to give out.

"I guess congratulations are in order then Boss." Bull said clapping Max on the back and Maxwell was completely and utterly confused by Bull's lack of well...anything. He honestly expected more freaking out.

"You seem to be taking this well?" He hadn't meant it as a question but it still came out like one.

"Why wouldn't I be? I mean it sucks you won't be able to go out in the field with us but it's not something I would freak out about." Bull said with a grin and Maxwell got it.

"You do realise you're the father?" Maxwell asked and judging by the look on Bull's face the minute he said those words he hadn't realised it.

The silence was long, so long that Maxwell was beginning to wonder whether or not he should try and find Dorian to help him or not.

"You're certain?" Bull asked when he finally seemed to find his voice.

"Yes, I am very much certain." There wasn't anyone else that could possibly have done this, Bull was the only person here he had sex with at all let alone in the past three months.

He almost wished he hadn't said anything since this seemed to spark a new even longer period of silence. If it wasn't such a serious conversation Max would have started laughing at how uncharastically silent the Qunari was being.

"Perhaps I should go find Dorian?" He asked, Max was really beginning to get concerned about Bull. He never imagined Bull would react like this, he hadn't really thought about his reaction at all. Maxwell had ran from all thoughts about this particular conversation, it made everything feel too real.

"No, I just need a minute." Bull said getting up and just looking at Maxwell, scanning his body and Maxwell couldn't help but wonder what it was that Bull was looking for. "What do you plan on doing?"

"I haven't really thought about it much, if I'm honest I've been doing my best not to think about it." Maxwell replied he knew he had been afraid of what Bull's reaction would be but this wasn't going as terribly as he had feared.

"What do you want to do?" Bull asked looking a little uncomfortable, which is fair it wasn't every day you found out you were gonna be a father.

"I'm keeping the baby if that's what you're wondering." He said softly but then he realised something this child would be half Qunari, they weren't raised by parents typically. He did remember Bull mentioning that he had been raised by Tamassrans. "You said before that you were raised by a Tamassran?"

"Yes, under the Qun there are no mothers or fathers. The father's job is done upon conception and the mother's job is done at birth. You're raised by Tamassrans until you are given a job." Bull explained and Max did remember him saying something like that before not long after they first met.

Maxwell wanted to ask Bull if he wanted to be around their child, but it didn't feel like the right time. There was plenty of time for those kind of conversations later on when both of them had more to digest everything. "Perhaps I should go."

"Wait, you do-"

"No, it's okay. Bull this is a lot to think about, a lot to digest and I've had months to think and figure out how I feel about this but I've only just told you. It isn't right for me to ask you things or expect you to know how you feel. I think I should leave and give you time to think about the baby and figure things out." Maxwell said gently getting up from Dorian's bed and smiling at Bull. He needed him to know that it was okay.

Bull opened his mouth only to close it again and nodded, Maxwell understood why. It had taken him weeks to wrap his head around the idea of having a child the least he could do was give him time to think about this. They could always talk about it later, Dorian too. After all he would be just as much a part of this as him or Bull. But for now he'll give them both time and if he was honest with himself he needed to lay down after everything that happened today, telling Bull was more exhausting than he had thought it would be.

Time for a bath and hopefully a slight rest before someone needed him again.


End file.
